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Mer Pushes Trade Peace With U.S.
As EU Mulls Striking Back on Steel

By

Geoff Winestock Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Updated March 15, 2002 12:01 a.m. ET

PARIS -- In a sign that a global trade war isn't likely, the chairman of the largest European steel producer, Arcelor, cautioned the European Commission against retaliatory sanctions to fight U.S. steel tariffs.

"You won't solve our problems by retaliating against American computers," said Francis Mer, head of the Franco-Spanish-Luxembourg company that employs 100,000 people in Europe and makes about a quarter of Europe's...